


Corpus Christi

by Alyce013



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: F/M, Forbidden Love, Supernatural Elements, Walks On The Beach
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:20:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23318983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alyce013/pseuds/Alyce013
Summary: Kihyun has been sentenced to pay off his crime.
Relationships: Yoo Kihyun/Original Character(s)





	Corpus Christi

A beautiful piano rendition of Moonlight Sonata flowed through the large empty villa. Sunday was family day, so Kihyun was once again alone in the place he had been chained to for the past several decades. He always loved the way the music echoed back to him as he played. This song fit the brooding mood he was currently in, and Kihyun knew allowing himself to be taken away by the melody would improve his mood for when his master returned. He looked up from the keys of the piano into the dark empty sockets of the human skull resting atop of the piano.

"What should I play next my friend?" He asked the skull, smiling sadly. His fingers paused over the keys as he made his decision. Für Elise echoed back to him and flowed through his soul. He closed his eyes giving in to the brooding, somber feeling. Everything he had done these past several decades, the reason he was figuratively chained to the villa, it was all for one person. For her.  
Kihyun could barely even remember exactly how her sweet voice sounded anymore. He longed to hear it, escaping to the place in his mind where he kept those memories. He remembered her hair always being a bit of a mess. He had made a joke about how it matched her personality. He remembered her smile, how her eyes would light up as if her soul was glowing through them. The sound of her laugh, loud and contagious. Her voice calling to him, making his heart swell with love and adoration.

"Corpus Christi." Her voice whispered in his mind. His eyes quickly opened wide in shock at how real it had sounded. Kihyun's fingers accidentally hitting the wrong keys and messing up the beautiful piece of music. He glared at the skull in front of him for a moment before he heard the main doors open, announcing the return of the family. He closed the cover of the piano quickly as he rushed to greet them.

"My king." Kihyun offered his arm to take his coat, bowing stiffly in respect.

"Ah, Kihyun, I trust everything went smoothly while we were gone?"

"Of course, my queen." He responded taking her coat as well. The prince and princess waved him away and put their own coats away.

"How are the holiday preparations coming?" The king asked.

"Everything is all ready for you. Starting with appetizers in the sitting room and leading up to the main feast in the dining room." Kihyun felt a sense of pride in how well he set things in motion. He may be here as a punishment, but he wasn't going to let that get in the way of doing the best job he could.

"Competent as always, Kihyun. Thank you." The king praised, smiling fondly. "Join us for dinner, would you?"

"O-of course." Kihyun stuttered, dark brown eyes wide in surprise. He had only been invited to dinner twice before, but never to a feast. It was rare for him to be shocked at all, and now it happened twice in one day. It really was throwing him out of his comfort zone. He was normally a composed, reserved person, not allowing his emotions to show very much if at all.  
The royal family passed by him on their way to the sitting room. The king patted him on the shoulder. The queen mirrored her husband's fond smile. The prince showed complete indifference as usual. The princess brushed into him in a flirty way. Kihyun rolled his eyes at the princess's back. She had taken a liking to him a couple decades into his punishment, and constantly enjoyed flirting with him. He denied her at every turn. He was forbidden, and disgraced, but most of all his heart was already claimed.  
Kihyun quickly left to the servants quarters to change into something more presentable for dinner. He wasn't going to appear at the holiday feast in his servant clothes in front of the entire royal family. He couldn't be so disrespectful. This feast was the most important feast of the year, about as special as the humans regarded Christmas, which was only a week later. He looked at himself in the mirror, combing his hair back a little and making small adjustments to his three piece suit.  
Kihyun walked through the different areas in which servants were working on his way back to the main villa. He had to make sure everything was perfect and inform them he wouldn't be available to help.

"Ah, Kihyun, there you are. For a moment I thought maybe you changed your mind about joining us." The queen addressed him the moment he walked into the room.

"Just making myself presentable, my queen." Kihyun sat in the only available chair, across from the princess as he spoke. She had been staring at him since he had arrived.

"Everything is flawless as usual. I don't know how you do it." The king commented as the main course was placed in front of them. The human, whose skull now sat on the top of the piano, had been prepared exceptionally well, according to Kihyun's instructions.

"Any job worth doing is worth doing well." Kihyun responded.

"You should be very proud. It sometimes seems like only yesterday you were sentenced to work here as punishment for your crime. You started off just a normal servant, but you quickly worked up the ladder until you became my steward." The king spoke as everyone ate. Kihyun was confused as to why he was bringing the past up. His believed his crime was well worth the decades of servitude.

"My penance must be paid, my king." Kihyun bowed his head in respect.

"It was a punishment, and yet you took it on willingly and excelled. I don't think anyone else in your position would have been as hardworking, diligent, and humble as you. You impress me, Kihyun." The king paused for a moment, savoring a piece of human meat. The silence allowed small, quiet conversations to break out amongst the table. The princess had decided at that moment to try to be flirty with her feet under the table. Kihyun pulled his feet back and rested them underneath his chair instead. He saw disappointment flash across her face before he looked over at the other guests at the table. The entire council was here as well as their families.  
Kihyun thought back to the last time he had been in front of the king and his council after they had discovered what he had done. He had been brought in with cast iron shackles around his wrists and ankles. He had kneeled in front of them, asking for mercy, and trying to explain. Back then he had fallen so far. He wasn't an arrogant person, but he never expected to ever be begging on his knees at any point in his life.

"Kihyun, should we bring out the other human? This one is almost down to the spine." A servant whispered inconspicuously in his ear.

"Yes, also announce the next course, and prepare for dessert." Kihyun responded just as inconspicuously. He should be behind those kitchen doors, running things, but he knew most of the people under him were more than competent with the right guidance. He just had to trust them.  
Kihyun's orders were followed and the king requested a fine wine for the entire table. Kihyun looked around the table at the guests. He still had no idea why he was dining with the entire ruling class right now. The princess seemed to be begging for his attention, but trying her hardest to hide it from her father. He wished she would take a hint and just give up, but the feast continued with barely a hiccup. The main course finished well and the next course was served. The king looked extremely pleased with everything which gave Kihyun a swelling feeling of pride in his chest. He pushed the feeling down a bit, reminding himself of the virtue of humility. He was sure that virtue was one of the main reasons he could be at this table right now.

"I didn't think you could beat last year's decadent feast, but you definitely outdid yourself." The king remarked as dessert was finally brought out.

"It is all due to your exceptional leadership that we are allowed to celebrate so well, my king."

"Before we start eating dessert, I have some things I would like to say to you, Kihyun." The king raised his voice so everyone in the room could hear him. All conversations immediately stopped and all attention was directed to him.

"You have my undivided attention." Kihyun assured him calmly, while underneath his composed demeanor, he was completely panicking.

"As I said earlier, you've served me very well these past few decades, and although you were working as punishment for your crime, you carried out your work meticulously and with humility and diligence. So, I feel you deserve something in return. Honestly, I don't know what we are going to do without you." The king smirked as he said the last statement.

"Without me?" Kihyun asked confused.

"Yes, the council and I have put a lot of thought into your behavior and service, and we have unanimously decided that your sentence is finished. Your punishment is over. Of course, you will never be able to reclaim your status as a prince, but you are a free man once again. All I ask is that you train your replacement if you decide to leave. If you decide to stay, I will make sure you live much more comfortably than you do now." The king smiled at Kihyun as shock took over his face. He couldn't believe his ears. He had waited for this moment for so long, never hoping it would be so soon.

"I-I don't know what to say." Kihyun confessed, stuttering for the second time that day. Shock was still taking hold of his thoughts and body making him unable to decide whether or not this was all a dream.

"Seeing my normally composed, brooding steward flustered is enough to know how much you appreciate this gesture. I do expect an answer as to whether you will stay on as my steward in two weeks. From this moment forward you are free to come and go as you wish. Enjoy your reclaimed freedom, Kihyun." The king then started to eat his dessert. Kihyun's thoughts raced as he finally realized he wasn't breathing at all out of shock. He let out a heavy shocked breath as he looked around the room at approving faces. He was free.

"Corpus Christi." That voice, her voice echoed once again softly in his head stopping all his thoughts except one.

"I need a plane ticket!" Kihyun blurted out a bit louder than necessary. The king laughed at the sudden outburst. It was so out of character for Kihyun to be so emotional, but he couldn't help it.

"Why not just use your own wings?" The king asked smiling fondly.

"It's too far for that. I'd definitely be seen by humans."

"Well, set it up. You know how. You have my full support." The king went back to his dessert and so did the rest of the room. Kihyun excused himself quietly. The only dessert he needed was the freedom he was just granted, and he wasn't gonna waste one second of it. He was going to go find her. His steps hastened as he stepped out of the dining room and out of sight of everyone inside.  
Kihyun hastily set up a flight to Texas as cheap as possible, and three days later he arrived in Dallas. He quickly rented a car and started what would be around a seven hour drive down to Corpus Christi. He drove the entire way down to the city, making a plan in his head. He knew her favorite place was the beach. She had always loved the feel of the sand between her toes, the salty water washing over her feet, and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. The was no doubt in his mind he would find her there.  
The first day was spent at North Beach, which was the most popular one in Corpus Christi. He walked along the water, getting lost in the sound of the waves. He could smell the food from the restaurants along the waterfront.  
It reminded him so much of the first time he met her. Kihyun had walked along the water just like now, but back then he had been so deep in thought. There was so much responsibility on his shoulders as prince, and the sound of waves always helped destress him. He was so lost in his thoughts, he hadn't noticed her sitting, allowing the waves to wash over her feet as they came in. He had tripped over her legs, and barely avoided face planting into the wet sand with slight use of his wings. She had laughed at his 'graceful' recovery. Maybe he wouldn't have been so taken with her had she been angry with him.  
The sun set on the water creating beautiful colors in the sky. Kihyun had spent the whole day on the beach reminiscing, eating at one of the restaurants, and just walking along the water over and over. She wasn't here. Darkness fell and he decided to try another beach tomorrow.  
The second day he spent at Cole Park. The views were beautiful, but there wasn't much sand. He smiled sadly as he hung on a railing overlooking the gulf. This would be a perfect place for a picnic and more of a lazy kind of day. The sun reflected brilliantly off the water as he walked along the pier.  
It reminded him so much of their first date. A picnic area overlooking the ocean. She had made a basket for him and he had made a basket for her. They had laid out beneath the canopy of a large tree. Kihyun didn't know what exactly it was then, but he had that floaty feeling of falling in love throughout his whole body. He was so confused as to how he could feel any attraction like this towards a human. It might have been the way her eyes sparkled when she spoke about her passions, or maybe the way the sunlight kissed her skin so gently like she was precious that made him even more taken with her. She had closed her eyes and just bathed in the fresh ocean air and calmness of the moment. Kihyun would swear he had never seen anything so beautiful.  
Although he spent the whole day walking the pier, breathing in the calming ocean air, and just soaking up the sun, she had been nowhere on this beach. He sighed sadly, swallowing back tears. Darkness fell on this day and despair started to rise up in his chest.  
The third day he spent at South Padre Island. A small smile spread across his face as he shed his shoes and wriggled his toes into the sand. The sunrise caught his eye today as he looked out at the gulf. He walked along the beach close enough to allow for the waves to wash over his bare feet as they came in. He noticed a couple riding horses along the beach close by.  
This beach reminded Kihyun of the day he proposed. It had only been two months after he finally confessed his true nature. She hadn't been scared of him at all, not even when he showed her his true appearance. She had just softly touched his horns with wide eyes.  
Kihyun wanted the proposal to be special, and, since the beach was special to them, he knew it was the perfect place for special. He had walked over to her with the horses to ride along the beach. Her calm, animal loving nature allowed her to bond quickly with her horse. They rode along the beach as the sun set beautifully on the water, even though he barely noticed it. He had been looking at something more beautiful the entire time. He suddenly dismounted from his horse, causing her to be concerned. She dismounted as well, walking the horse along with her back to him. His palms had been so sweaty, his heart had raced so fast, and every beautiful word he had planned to say emptied from his mind. He still somehow managed to ask her from down on one knee, explaining how she completed him so perfectly. It was his happiest memory. Her absolute joy was indeed more beautiful to him than any sunset on any beach.  
Unfortunately, she was nowhere to be found on this beach. Kihyun swallowed back tears once again as the small flame of hope dimmed slightly. He definitely had heard her voice right. She should be here somewhere. He returned to his hotel slightly defeated.  
It was on the fourth day at Whitecap Beach where he finally found his heart again. He found this beach to be beautifully peaceful as he started to walk around. He walked along the water, deciding whether or not he wanted to walk the pier as well. He watched a man starting to build a sandcastle for a few moments.  
As Kihyun's gaze swept back towards the water a woman caught his eye. At first he couldn't believe it was her. He gazed at her figure in the distance, close to the waves, walking along slowly. The first absolutely genuine smile since he was ripped from her slowly spread across his face. Her hair was messy as always, the wind blowing it beautifully to the side. It was as if time stood still for a moment and his whole body froze in excitement and awe. She was just as beautiful as he remembered.  
Kihyun broke into a sprint, not slowing down until he was a couple feet from her. She had stopped for a moment, looking out at the sun rising above the water. He quietly walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and buried his face into her neck. She smelled so good. She smelled like home. A loud gasp escaped her throat as she moved to grab his wrists.

"They gave you back to me?" She breathed, absolute joy filling every syllable. She turned in his arms to face him,running her hands all over his body as if she had to make sure he was real. Her hands settling on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her tighter. She buried her face in his chest as happy tears started to fall down her face.

"Yes. I'm finally free." Kihyun sighed happily. "I missed you so very much!" The tears he had been holding back the past few days started to drip from his eyes.

"I missed you too. I thought you were dead." She confessed, looking up into his soft, dark brown eyes. "I was so afraid you were dead." Kihyun softly wiped her tears with his thumbs as he cradled her face in his hands. He placed a soft, sweet kiss on her lips.

"We don't kill our own kind. That was the first thing I taught you when I turned you." He wrapped his arms around her waist again, pulling her closer, holding her tight as if to say he would never let go. "I was sentenced to servitude and stripped of my title."

"Did you regret it...while you were being punished?" She asked gently, as he kissed her forehead lovingly.

"Turning you? No. I knew turning a human into one of us was illegal, but I was willing to take any punishment just so that I didn't ever have to lose you. It was so very selfish, but so very worth it." Kihyun admitted. She wrapped her arms around his neck, gazed into his eyes, and smiled lovingly up at him.

"They gave you back to me for Christmas." She sighed. "This is the most perfect Christmas present ever."


End file.
